Since Mozilla appointed its former CTO Brendan Eich as CEO last
week, the company been caught up in a whirlwind of controversy.

Eich donated $1,00 to Prop 8 in 2008—the California bill that
deemed gay marriage illegal—and some members of the Mozilla
community have said this contradicts the company's values of
openness and inclusion.

"It may be challenging for a CEO, but everyone in our community
can have different beliefs about all sorts of things that may be
in conflict. They leave them at the door when they come to work
on the Mozilla mission."

For Eich, Mozilla's principle of inclusiveness also means
including everyone regardless of what their beliefs are. If this
doesn't uphold, the company is doomed, Eich said during the
interview.

"If
Mozilla cannot continue to operate according to its principles of
inclusiveness, where you can work on the mission no matter what
your background or other beliefs, I think we'll probably
fail."

Last week a few
Mozilla employees urged Eich to step down almost immediately
after he was appointed as CEO. Eich co-founded the company in
1998 and his donation to Prop 8 was made public in 2012, but
there was no backlash until he transitioned into the role of
CEO.

The controversy extends far beyond Mozilla's own employees.
Earlier this week popular dating platform OK Cupid displayed a
message
urging its users to switch to another browser when visiting
the website in Firefox. A petition urging Eich to either reverse
his stance on LGBT rights or step down has amassed more than
70,000 signatures in less than a week.

In his interview with CNET, Eich acknowledged that he had
hurt members of the LGBT community, but also said that he
shouldn't be judged by his personal values.

When
people learned of the donation, they felt pain. I saw that in
friends' eyes, [friends] who are LGBT [lesbian, gay, bisexual, or
transgendered]. I saw that in 2012. I am sorry for causing that
pain...I would
be asked to be judged, like I would judge other company
executives, by my conduct and how I comport myself in my
role.

In general, Eich said personal and religious values
shouldn't interfere with a CEO's professional duties:

Beliefs that are protected, that include political and
religious speech, are generally not something that can be held
against even a CEO.

Although Eich made it clear that he doesn't intend to change his
stance because it's not "good for my or Mozilla's integrity," he
shared plans for a new LGBT-focused initiative with CNET. The
effort, called Project Ascend, sounds as if it would help people
in the LGBT community in "less than ideal" living situations find
work within Mozilla.